Closure plug



y 1936- L. J. SANDER 2,046,

CLOSURE I PLUG Filed. March 7, 1935 ATTORNEY5,

Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2,046,700 CLOSURE PLUG Louis J. Sander, Buffalo, N. Y.

' Application March 7, 1935, Serial No. 9,762

V 4 Claims. (01. 138-89) This invention relates to closure plugs par- 7 I designates the body which is usually a castticularly for pipe ends and other openings, and ing having an integral annular flange or collar 2 especially to threaded plugs for threading into on its inner side, this flange being usually threaded openings, and has for its object a parthreaded and fitting into the threaded end of a 5 ticularly simple, expansible and contractile, conpipe 3. The body is usually provided with a 5 tinuous collar for fitting into the opening, and wrench hold A on its top. The flange 2 is diformed so as to be contractile throughout a convided transversely, as at 5, and the portions on siderable extent thereof, together with means for opposite sides of the line of division are sep normally holding the flange, or collar, in its arated by slots 6 near the base of the flange,

1O circle, or so that the threads mate, or coact, with and at the upper edge of the threads forming 10 the threads of the opening in the normal, or expansible and contractile tongues 1 extending usual, manner that a plug threads into an openoppositely to each other in a direction circuming, and operable to permit a contractile action ferentially of the flange terminating at the line of the collar to loosen the threaded collar from of division 5. The slots 6 extend a considerable the threads of the opening. distance around the flange, here shown as ap- 15 This closure plug is particularly designed for proximately one-quarter of the flange, so that what is known as trap screw ferrules, or in situaapproximately one-half of the flange is separated tions where the plugs remain in position for a by the slots 6 from the body. long time, sometimes years, before the necessity In order to prevent axial displacement of the arises to remove them. In these situations, the flange and hence, possible misalinement of the 20 usual plugs become set so tight in the openings threads, means is provided for holding the that they can not be removed without destroying tongues T from aXiel displacement As the plugs, or breaking the pipe. Therefore, one shown, the b y is formed With an integral, of the principal objects of this invention is a r t brace 8 Wi hin the fl or llar r closure plug, or trap screw ferrule, which is comthe portion thereof in Which the Slots 5 are 25 paratively light but which can be readily reformed, a the Outer margin 9 O the flange moved at any time without destroying the plug, overhangs and engages the edge of the flange 2 or breaking the pipe end. and presses on the lower edges of the tongues I. The invention consists in the novel features The line of division 5 also extends. throu t and in the combinations and constructions herebrace 8. 30 inafter set forth and claimed, The means for expanding the tongues I is In describing this invention,.reference is had pe b from the Outer upper Side Of the y to the accompanying drawing in which like and as here Shown COmPIISeS eh expander, as characters designate corresponding parts in all a Screw l9 threading through the body I and.

th iews, having a tapered end H entering a bore be- 5 Figure 1 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional tween the Confronting h 0 the t s view of a trap screw ferrule embodying my ind er ow as ente mg a bore l2 formed. vention, the contiguous portion of a pipe end p y 1n t e epposlng ends of the ton s being also shown, The conical or tapered end H of the screw I0 Figure 2 is an edge view, partly broken away, has a base portion of Suflicieht diameter to 40 of this trap screw ferrule, hold the tongues from contracting. That is, Figure 3 is an inner f e i hold the tongues in the circle of the collar when i 01051111; l or trap screw ferrule, the screw is tightened to its full extent. Preferprises generally, a discoidal body having an anably, When the screw is g t ed to t e extent nular fl g or ll on it inner Side f r that the tongues are in the normal circle of the 5 telescoping into an opening to be closed, as the Cellar, its heed abuts against the p f t e end of a pipe, the flange being substantially conboss The Screw, as here Shown, Preferably tinuous and having radially expansible and conthreads through a 1005B 0n the dy tractile portions and means, as an expander, In Operation, the Screw is tightened, thus perating to expand said portions and permit th setting the tongues in the circle of the collar. 5 contraction thereof. The flange and pipe end are The cover is screwed into the opening or pipe usually threaded. The contractile action is innd- To remove the p, the Screw iS l sen d. ward from the normal circle of the flange and This permits the tongues to contract, or loosen, expanding action from the contracted position and if they are tightly set in the threads, light back to the normal circle. tapping on the outside of the pipe will break 55 the tongues away from the pipe and permit them to contract. The brace 8 prevents distortion of the tongues 1 in an axial direction and hence, misalinement of the threads. 7

Preferably, a gasket I4 is located around the base of the flange between the margin 15 of the body and end edge of the pipe. The base of the flange adjacent the body I, that is, the portion surrounded by the gasket is unthreaded, and the slots 6 are provided in the unthreaded portion of the base of the flange 2, or at the inner ends of the threads of the flange 2.

By this invention, not only is the closure easily removable after being set over a long indefinite period, but also it can be made comparatively light, as excessive force is not necessary to dislodge it.

What I claim is:

1. A closure plug comprising a body having a threaded annular flange for fitting a threaded opening to be closed, the flange being substantially continuous and having radially expansible and contractile portions extending in a direction circumferentially of the flange, and means operable from the outer side of the body for expanding and contracting said portions.

2. A closure plug comprising a body having a threaded annular flange for fitting a threaded opening to be closed, the flange being continuous and being divided transversely from its outer edge to its base, and having portions on opposite sides of the line of division separated at the base of the flange from the body forming tongues extending in a direction circumferentially of the flange, and means for radially expanding and contracting said tongues.

3. A closure plug comprising a body having a threaded annular flange for fitting a threaded opening to be closed, the flange being substantially continuous and divided transversely and having approximately a quarter thereof on each side of the line of division separated at the base of the flange from the body forming radially expansible and contractile tongues, the tongues forming approximately, one-half of the flange, and an expander extending between the confronting ends of the tongues and operable from the outer side of the body for expanding and contracting the tongues.

4. A closure plug comprising a body having a threaded annular flange for fitting a threaded opening to be closed, the flange being formed with radial expansible and contractile tongues extending circumferentially of the flange, and the body being provided with means for bracing the tongues against axial displacement, and means operable from the outside of the body for expanding and contracting the tongues. 

